1. Field of Invention
An assisted lift shower seat seeking strict compliance with applicable ADA standards includes a wall mounted pivotal shower seat having a frame attached to the wall in a shower by at least two brackets, the shower seat pivotally raised and lowered with the assistance of a stiff torsion spring anchored to the bracket and applying force to the shower seat, diminishing the force required to raise and lower the shower seat from a vertical to horizontal and horizontal to vertical position.
2. Description of Prior Art
The following United States patents were discovered and are disclosed within this application for utility patent. All relate to shower seats of some form and fashion.
Three design patents are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D464,818 to Adman, D411,065 to Davis and D342,779 to Root, adapted to be attached to a wall or vertical surface, with Root being referenced as a shower seat. All appear to require manual lifting and raising without spring assistance. They also bear little aesthetic similarity to the present shower seat.
Three other seats are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,305,741 to Fernandez, 6,089,651 to Carmen and 5,967,255 to Young that have attachment to a vertical wall, with Fernandez and Young having a double hinged folding means allowing for the folding of the chair against a wall, with the seat folding to a horizontal position and legs or a leg panel folding into a vertical position to support the seat to the floor of the shower or bath. These do not have a spring lift assist mechanism or means. Carmen is a folding chair attached to a wall with a sliding bracket to hold the upper portion of the chair against the wall in either a raised or lowered position, the seat pivoting up or down as the chair back is raised or lowered. No spring means or lift assist is disclosed. In addition, these seats require unfolding which may pinch the seated person, or collapse if the leg support folds or slides.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,892 to Mitchell, a bath and shower seats without lift assist means is shown, attaching to the wall and pivoting on the edge of the tub with the seat folding from the wall. It has a pivotal leg brace that requires unfolding before the seat is secured into a horizontal position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,671 is an example of a shower seat that is not a folding variety, but is set in a shower and anchored with extending support rods to the walls to prevent movement of the seat in the shower. A whole series of shower seats is also found in a catalogue published by Seachrome Corporation in Azusa, Calif., the catalogue downloaded from that companies web site at www.seachorome.com.
None of these prior art patents appear to meet or even seek the standards of compliance of ADA xc2xa74.27.4 which states as follows:
xe2x80x9c4.27.4 Operation. Controls and operating mechanisms shall be operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate controls shall be no greater than 51 bf (22.2 N).xe2x80x9d
The present invention, by inclusion of the spring assist torsion spring engaging the seat requires less than the maximum amount of force to raise and lower the seat provided the torsion spring is matched to the weight of the seat, the present shower seat easily raised and lowered with the force applied by one finger. Setup can be accomplished with one hand, since no folding parts require the use of a second hand, and raising and lowering of the seat causes no pinching, tight grasping or twisting of the wrist.
Since enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act manufacturers of accessories for persons with disability have been attempting to make products that not only accommodate the disabled, but also meet compliance with guidelines consistent with the ADA and practical application. Shower seats, in particular, are used by persons with disabilities including amputees, stroke patients, orthopaedic patients, heart patients, and those with progressive diseases affecting the neuromuscular systems require some scating device in the shower, unable to get in or out of a bathtub, yet unable to stand for a shower. Often is the case that catastrophic injury can occur when those with disability attempt to shower without assistance fall or slip in the shower.
As demonstrated in prior art, shower seats themselves are not new, nor are seats attaching to the wall. However, those prior art seats either require one to lift the entire weight of the seat from a closed position to open, or from an open position to closed, without weighted assistance. They also have parts that require more than one hand to establish the seat in the open position, or they require one to bend over to set the legs to support the shower seat.
The primary objective of the invention is to provide a secured folding shower seat which is xe2x80x9coperable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist,xe2x80x9d with a xe2x80x9cforce required to activate controls shall be no greater than 5 lbf (22.2 N)xe2x80x9d to raise and lower the seat.
A second objective of the invention is to provide the shower seat is different embodiments with consideration given to the shape of the existing shower or the new shower within which the shower seat is installed. This second objective is accomplished by the orientation of the framework under the seat, the selection of a wall mounting bracket suited for the various installation requirements, and the size and connection of the torsion spring.